


A Road Trip

by darkroses13



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Chappy - Freeform, Dark Powers, Erza is badass, Evil, Fairytail, Gen, Gruvia - Freeform, Happy, Lucy is great, Monster - Freeform, Nalu - Freeform, Probably stronger characters, Road Trip, Romance, Vacation, fairy tail - Freeform, jerza - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-05-26 17:52:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6249676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkroses13/pseuds/darkroses13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucy is exhausted after two weeks of jobs (courtesy of Natsu, the idiot). So when Erza suggests a road trip, she's all up for it. Entire days of doing nothing but relaxing? Count her in! Of course there's also that tiny flutter in her stomach whenever the previously mentioned Dragon-slayer smiles at her, but that's hardly a contributing factor. Right?<br/>The team goes on the road trip for a fun break from their usual activities. However, something sinister lurks in the dark alleyways of their vacation spot, and it's watching them. Watching and waiting, with a terrifying dark power to boot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is only my second Fanfic- sorry if it's really bad. Thanks!  
> Update: i know it's probably been a year (or maybe more) but I edited the chapter, and I'm pretty proud of how it turned out! I will probably work on the other chapters too- and continue the fic. So if you enjoy this, don't forget to give kudos and wait for more!

Lucy smiled in bliss, eyes fluttering as she stretched her pale arms high above her head, letting out a content sigh at the pleasant stretch in her muscles. Finally! She mused, body turning into mush as she settled back into the luxurious, steaming water of her bath. With her an expensive vanilla-scented bath set and strawberry flavored body creams, she had really gone all out

The blonde was at home, relaxing after two entire weeks of non-stop jobs. First had been the breaking down of a small gang's base. Hardly a threat, but one of their members had said something upsetting to poor Wendy, reducing her to tears. Fairy Tail looked after their own of course, and Natsu had been raring for a fight anyways. That one had taken about two days (mostly due to Natsu and Gray beginning a brawl in the MIDDLE of the job, forcing the girls to beat the two idiots up instead and hope their efforts would shake a few brain cells into place). The second job had been the very next day; fighting a dangerous beast that had attacked a small town along the coast. The monster had turned out to be an escaped test subject from a shady laboratory, and the team soon found out that there were even more where that came from. It had taken a week to slowly shut those down and free the poor animals, which were docile once away from blinding lights and sharp needles. And Natsu the absolute _jock_ insisted on about 5 more small jobs, all in the span of a few days. So, Lucy was exhausted. 

“At least I can pay off this month’s rent now! Ooh, and last month’s... and the month before...” she murmured, eyelids slowly drooping from the combined hypnotizing effects of the hot steam, heady vanilla scent and the slow music playing on her Sound Lacrima.

When Lucy woke up with a start, twenty minutes later, she could feel her senses tingling. Putting it down to the rejuvenating (re-juvia-nating she thought with a snort, and then shook her head both at the horrible pun and the unladylike noise) effects of the now cold water, Lucy climbed out of the bathtub, making sure that the droplets of water slipping down her body didn't escape to the floor. She rubbed her arms and legs to get the chill out of them, shivering. After quickly wrapping a soft white yukata around her curvy body, Lucy bent her head over and gently toweled her thick honey locks with a clean cloth, the sweet berry smell of her shampoo wafting around her face. When she deemed her hair sufficiently soaked of remaining moisture, she checked that her yukata was in place and then walked out her bathroom at a leisurely pace.

“Kyaaa- wait why am I even surprised anymore.” she began to scream, but then sighed and scrubbed a hand over her face (also secretly enjoying the softness of her cheeks. The face wash did work!). Her team mates/ best friends were sitting in her living room as if invited, grinning widely up at her.

“Oh, hey Luce!” Natsu exclaimed, not even bothering to put down the pocky stick he had been ravishing by the looks of it. Lucy felt her eyes begin to bug out as she recognized the chocolate biscuits she had been saving at the back of the fridge (to hide from the previously mentioned boy, of course) for ages to treat herself during her period. A vein throbbed in her forehead and the relaxed state she had forced herself into was slowly knotting back up again. “These cookies are really- “ he started to say, before Lucy placed a well aimed kick onto the side of his head, holding the yukata tightly in place to avoid flashing anyone.

“THE AUDACITY YOU HAVE TO COME INTO _MY_ HOUSE AND EAT _MY_ SPECIAL BISCUITS!” she screeched, the wave of satisfaction crashing over the small wave of guilt that had been stirring up within her stomach at the sight of the whimpering pinkette.

Erza set down her cup of tea as if the small exchange between her teammates hadn't happened, and smiled warmly at the blonde. “Sorry for just turning up like this, but we came to tell you that- “The redhead managed to inform her before being rudely interrupted.

“Damn, Lucy. I didn't know you had it in you!” Gray muttered, blushing as he held a strangely familiar pink book. Wait a second... At the same time, Happy walked out of the kitchen, holding one of her lacy bras, “Hey Natsu, Natsu! Lets play Ninja again!"

“Don’t come in here and take my private things!” Lucy growled, swiftly snatching her diary and bra away from the two idiots and almost immediately pulling back to plant a fist in each of their faces. Gray flew back a good few metres, landing on Natsu with an ‘oomph’ while Happy just spun away in the air, crashing into a carefully balanced book on the counter and causing it to fall to the floor. My page... Lucy sobbed inwardly.

Immediately, Natsu yelled, “Watch where you’re going, idiot slanty eyes!” Gray got off instantly, as if he had been burned- which was a very plausible reason, actually, turning on him and retorting sharply, “You trying to start a fight, shitty fire breath?”, already radiating his trademark icy mist. Lucy felt her breath begin to fog up in small puffs as Gray put his hands together, a beautiful magical circle expanding across his palms, illuminating his pale skin with a blue light.

“Ice make…”

Natsu grinned, eyes glinting in a dangerous but playful way that often had Lucy catching her breath in the middle of a fight (not that she would ever admit it) and his fists flamed up brilliantly, the exquisite flames burning in his calloused fists molding perfectly to his flesh with obvious practice.

“Bring it on!” he cackled. 

Lucy honestly felt so attacked, staring at the two males with wide eyes and already mentally adding the expenses that would surely rack up if that fight escalated. She tried not to hyperventilate at the result, and started counting out the numbers of pi to calm herself. She missed the concerned glance Natsu shot her way- even though it only lasted half a second, a simple flick of dark eyes.

Erza’s seemed to understand immediately her eye flashing in away that had most enemies cowering in fear. “Enough!” she boomed, cleanly taking a sword out of a glowing magical circle in the air and whacking both of them across the back of their heads with the flat of its blade. Natsu and Gray fell back onto the couch, thankfully knocked out with egg-sized lumps already forming at the place of the hit. The sword disappeared in a small flash. 

"Thank you so much," Lucy breathed.

“No problems, Lucy. As I was saying,” Erza continued calmly, “I was thinking about going on a road trip, as a break from all the hard work we’ve done. Natsu and Gray agreed, naturally.”

“We had no choice… she just dragged us along…” Gray muttered lowly, sitting up with a groan and rubbing the back of his head. Erza ignored him, smiling pleasantly and hopping up and not waiting for Lucy's reply. “We leave in two hours then. Lucy, pack your things and meet us at the guild. I need a word with the master.”

Lucy immediately stiffened up at the commanding but kind tone, slapping a hand to her brow in a mock salute.

“Hai!” she grinned. A road trip did sound fun.

Behind her, Natsu moaned and pressed his pink spikes into the soft material of the couch, squashing them in an almost comedic way. “Road trip? Just the thought of it makes me feel sick…” he groaned, then went pale and slapped a hand over his mouth. “Uhngh…”

Suddenly, Erza was towering over him, quite literally radiating doom with her glare. “Did you just say something, _Natsu_  ?” The said boy cowered away from her, squeaking out an ‘No! I swear Erza it was n-nothing..’ The terrifying redhead glowered down for a few more seconds, then her face softened. “Maybe, on the way there, we can have a break then. That sounds like the perfect time for a picnic!” She exclaimed, eyes shining in an almost childlike glow. Lucy smiled softly, thinking of her rough past.

Gray groaned morosely, but when he saw the look on Erza’s face, he quickly turned it into a wide, forced smile. “That sounds...fun!“ 

With a bit of grumbling from Natsu, Lucy managed to shove her friends out of the door so that she could get ready. Natsu turned up half-an-hour later anyways, but she took advantage of that and made him close her suitcase, which was overflowing with her necessities (all the while trying to quash down the small bubble of happiness she felt at Natsu's exuberant grin).

An hour later, Lucy was boarding a train at Magnolia Station. Behind her, Gray was trying to peel Juvia off his shoulder without hurting her emotionally or physically. “Ah...why are you here again..?” he tried asking hesitantly, subtly shooting a dark look at Natsu. The latter had burst into the guild earlier, declaring that his team was off on a road trip, emphasizing that they would be alone together for two weeks.

Juvia had perked up immediately, questioning which people were to be on the trip. The cheeky idiot had said Luce and Erza and Ice-brain, scampering off at the look in Gray’s eye. Lucy felt unnecessarily happy that he had said her name first. What was wrong with her? Juvia instantly requested Erza to come along, positively delighted at the idea of being with her love for two weeks on a road trip. Erza, though usually harsh and unrelenting, melted at the hopeful gleam in the rain-woman's ocean blue orbs and agreed quite readily. Wendy and Carle had also decided to come along, much to Happy’s delight. He was now in the process of trying to give Carle an oozing fish (that Lucy tried not to flinch away from), while Wendy stared in horror as Erza dragged Natsu to the train.

“I’m so sorry my Troia spell doesn’t work anymore Natsu-san…” she murmered sadly, looking dismayed. Carle rolled her eyes sarcastically, but an almost parental warmth was there at the edges of her frown. “You shouldn’t have used it so much, Wendy. And it isn’t your fault Natsu developed a resistance against it. Though he isn’t the only one who needs the spell you know…”

Lucy immediately connected the dots. It only made sense that Wendy would have motion sickness too, despite having healing powers. It seemed to be a common trait amongst dragon slayers. She patted the small girl sympathetically. Wendy looked distraught, and when the train started to move with a jerk, her skin paled to a sickly tone. Erza appeared worried for the youngest member of their group. “Wendy? Is something wrong?”

Wendy shook her head, going positively green as the train rocked. Carle sighed. “Wendy has developed some motion sickness as well.” The blue haired girl gulped, then ran to the window and stuck her head out, the cool wind drying the cold sweat on her face and most probably also giving her the energy her powers required.  

Lucy shook her head, thinking of the many missions to come that would need transport. There was another person who couldn't deal with it now. She glanced down at Natsu, who was out cold on her soft thighs, breathing deeply. Unable to stop herself, she stroked the tips of her fingers along his unusual shade of hair, discovering that it was indeed quite soft. 

Juvia looked on jealously. The water mage did not think of her as a love rival- not usually at least- but the type of relationship Lucy had with Natsu was something she yearned for with the icy man sitting next to her. Gray caught this with half-lidded eyes, the gentle rocking motions of the train as it eased into the journey lulling him to sleep. A sudden jerk of their carriage woke him quickly however, as is head connected with the soft woman next to him. The comfort and warmth of whatever his head had accidentally rested upon almost made him fall asleep again. However, a soft gasp snapped him up. Glancing over, he realized that he had used Juvia as a pillow, and a blush raced across his handsome face. 

"G-Gray Sama can..can rest on Juvia if he wishes.." Juvia whispered, flushing as she looked down and waited for the usual rejection. 

Gray had intended to refuse- he couldn't lead her on after all. He didn't feel the same..right? He shook away the weird thoughts and opened his mouth to say no, but the softness of her shoulder was calling to him and he found himself agreeing. “Yeah, okay. If you don't mind.”

He almost looked as shocked as Juvia herself, but the words were out and he couldn't bring himself to regret his decision at the look of joy on her face. After a few moments of shocked silence, Juvia shuffled a bit closer and tilted her body towards his, to make it more comfortable for him. Gray's breath stuttered as he gazed down at her small, curvaceous body, suddenly seeing his guild mate in a different light. He had to pinch himself to look away, and slowly lowered his head to lean on her. 

"Juvia d-doesn't mind."

He was asleep in minutes, and Erza smiled as Juvia snuggled up to him slightly, almost melting in happiness.

Erza looked upon her slumbering teammates. Natsu was asleep on Lucy's lap while the blonde slept leaning awkwardly against the seat, fingers still in the pinkette's spikes. Wendy was passed out on a seat, Carle curled protectively by her head. Happy was perched at Wendy's feet, beside Lucy's thigh. Gray and Juvia gently rested on each other, breathing softly in synchronization. 

While the redhead was content, she couldn't help wondering of a tattooed mage. Was he safe, in danger, thinking of her..? The man still on her mind, Erza let her eyes close, and slipped into a light rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Two hours later, they arrived at the seaside resort. 

Natsu was ‘all fired up’, as he claimed, and was running about the beach, trying to catch a crab to eat. When Happy saw the size of the crabs scuttling around the rock pools, his eyes bugged out, and he ran after Natsu happily, with a line of drool coming out of his mouth. Lucy rolled her eyes, but then smiled as Carla sighed. 

“What an idiot.” She muttered, crossing her arms. 

“When he catches a crab, he’s going to try and give it to you, you know.” Lucy told her, watching Happy- who was now chasing after a crab with a stick. Carla groaned, but kept watching, with a slightly higher level of interest.

Ten minutes later, when Happy finally managed to catch one, he did exactly as Lucy had predicted. 

“Carla, wanna share my crab?” 

Carla went slightly pink, and stared down at the ground. Lucy grinned, walking off quickly to yell at Gray for stripping to his boxers again; terrifying a young girl sitting nearby. As she walked off, she heard Carle grumble; 

“F-fine. But this is the only time I’m ever going to accept a gift from you.”

Lucy smirked to herself. Finally, those two were getting together. 

Suddenly, a pair of underwear came flying through the air, draping itself almost artistically across her face. 

“Gaaah!” she yelled, pulling it off and tossing it away from herself. Natsu was standing in front of her, holding just about all of the crabs on the beach. In the distance, Lucy could hear some poor fisherman who had been having a great day catching crabs until they’d showed up. 

“Lucy had a really creepy look on her face, so I covered it with the first thing that I could get my hands on.” Natsu whispered to Happy, who was floating on a little cloud by Carle’s acceptation. “Aye!” 

“I can hear you, cat.” Lucy muttered, turning around to glare at them. But seeing the terrified expressions on their faces, she stopped. What was going on? 

To her right, Gray, Wendy and Carle looked equally as horrified -Juvia had melted into a puddle after seeing Gray without his boxers, but even the wet patch in the sand looked horrified. They all seemed to be looking just behind her. 

Lucy slowly turned, and when she saw, she knew she was doomed. 

Erza stood a few steps behind her, the boxers Lucy had tossed away before covering her face. For a second, Lucy was glad the Titania’s expression was hidden by the fabric, then the realization hit her. She had tossed a pair of underwear onto the Titania’s face. 

“Ah, th-that was an accident, y-you see…” she stuttered out, cringing as she felt the dark aura radiating off Erza just increase. 

A sword materialised in Erza’s hand, and she flicked the boxers off her face with its’ tip, and sliced it into shreds while it was mid-air. 

“Aww, those were the only pair of boxers I had!” Gray moaned, folding his arms. Juvia sprang out of the puddle at his feet, eyes glinting in anticipation.

“Gray-sama can borrow mine.” She squealed. 

Gray looked disturbed. “Don’t want it.” was his short reply, though Lucy was quick to see the blush in his pale cheeks. Before he could say anything else, Erza turned, shooting them a look that had both of them clutching each other in fear. 

Then those dark eyes turned on Lucy, and she gulped. 

“Aaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my second chapter- im really nervous cause its pretty much the 3rd thing i've posted so far. thnx so much for the kudos (though there were only 1 or 2) u do not know how good it feels to find someone likes your work. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

"Owww..." 

Lucy moaned, as she dragged herself up the steps to her room. Which idiot had placed their rooms at the top of the hotel? she thought darkly to herself. Erza had really given it to her, though she had obviously been holding back. 

"I really need to get stronger, so I can fight back..." Lucy mused to herself. "But then again, even Natsu can't defeat Erza. Speaking of Natsu, where is he? I'm pretty sure his room is next to mine." Lucy fell silent. "That flame-brain really is an idiot." she laughed to herself, remembering the look on his face when he had found out about the road trip. "But even so..." Lucy clasped her arms, a blush spreading across her face. "He's a cute idiot." 

Suddenly, heat burst against her back, and a pair of strong arms were picking her up. Wind whooshed past her, and she realized she was being carried up the stairs, bridal style. By Natsu. 

"Aaaa! Put me down! Put me down!" she screamed, sure that her face was bright red by now. He hadn't heard her, had he? Her heart seemed to be beating at a hundred throbs a second. If he had... Lucy glanced at him, but Natsu was looking straight ahead, a stupid grin on his face. The stupid grin that she liked so much... What was she thinking!? Lucy pressed her eyes shut, and then opened them again, as if trying to squeeze the thoughts out of her mind. No, he hadn't heard her. And even if he had, he wouldn't have understood. Lucy was sure of it.

She peeked at Natsu's face again. The sharp jaw, the determined eyes, the messy pink spikes. Lucy nearly melted at the way he held her protectively against his chest... She shook her head. What was with these silly thoughts? 

"Put me down!" she said again trying to straighten her mind. Natsu slowed down, seeming confused. "What's wrong? I thought you were hurting after that scene with Erza?" Lucy glared at him, to cover the blush across her cheeks. "It was your fault it happened!" she muttered, the fight going out of her as she realized her lower back and thighs really were aching. Natsu grinned at her. "Well, take this as my way to compensate!" 

Lucy glowered, though she was already sub-consciously sinking down into those arms that radiated heat, eyes drooping of their own accord. She had never even felt tired till now. "Where did you learn such a big word?" were her last words, before her eyes slammed shut. 

Natsu slowed down, looking down at the sleeping blonde in his arms. He smiled, blushing slightly as he remembered her words earlier. She thought he was cute huh? A wide grin spread across his face. It wasn't love yet, but at least it was a start! He slowly began walking up the stairs again. 

The very day he had met Lucy, many years ago, he had liked her. He paused. Okay, maybe on that first day the only reason to that was because of the food she had bought for him and Happy to show her gratitude. Natsu frowned. What had she been showing her gratitude for again? He pondered this as he stepped up the hotel stairs. In his arms, Lucy mumbled something, and turned over, pressing her chest to his shoulder. She muttered something again, then began to gently snore. 

"Natsu...no...Sala-a-manduh..." she had said in her sleep. Natsu felt a jolt in his stomach. She was dreaming about him! He felt his stomach start to tighten, and his heart beat harder, sending waves of scorching heat throughout his body.

Salamander? That was it! Lucy had been showing her gratitude for breaking the Fascination charm cast on her by the Salamander wannabe, Bora. But still, he felt as if he was missing something. The ring... Igneel had once talked about the various forbidden charms that existed, and had mentioned the ring. Something about soul-mates... Natsu was distracted from his thoughts when he saw the hotel corridor in front of him. He would think about it later, he decided. 

Natsu fumbled as he tried to adjust Lucy to a better position so he could open the door. He ended up draping her over his shoulder, legs awkwardly dangling in front of his arm. After a few tries, he managed to push the door open, and he almost sighed in relief as he set Lucy down on the beautifully carved four-poster bed. Though Lucy would kill him if he told her this, she actually did weigh quite a bit. After making sure she was comfortable, Natsu stepped back, studying the intricate designs on the bed posts. The depicted an elaborate dragon guarding a beautiful maiden. Natsu smiled, thinking about protecting Lucy. 

"Natsu..." Lucy murmured, snuggling into the pillow beside her. 

Natsu felt his heart skip a beat. What was she dreaming about? He stared at her face, eyes lingering on the shiny blonde hair. Without thinking, he reached out and gently twisted his fingers into it, loving the feel of the silky locks. As he smoothed it down, a waft of fruity shampoo floated up to his sensitive dragon slayer nose, and he inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. 

"Uhnnn..." Lucy groaned, shifting her head so that it was pressed into his hand. Natsu leaped back a meter or so, feeling like he had been caught doing something really bad. Was she awake? A quick glance told him that no, she was still asleep. He sighed in relief, and turned to leave, when Lucy muttered something in her sleep again. 

"No... Stay..." 

Natsu stopped in his tracks, turning in shock. She wanted him to stay? However Lucy's eyes were closed, and she was even snoring a little. No, it's more like a gentle snuffling at the back of her throat, Natsu corrected himself. He lingered in the room, not wanting to leave. 

Suddenly, Lucy began to shiver, clutching her arms to her sides. As Natsu watched, goosebumps rose on her body, and her breath came in short puffs of air. Natsu felt the temperature in the room dropping noticeably, and frowned. Why was it so cold? He checked the windows, and saw that they were tightly bolted. He closed the bathroom door just in case, but the room just got even more cold. 

Natsu pulled the covers over Lucy's trembling body, but he could see that it did little to help. The jug of lemon water beside on the ornate dresser beside the bed started to freeze over, and he watched in confusion as it iced over completely. Suddenly, an thought came to his head, but was rejected immediately. What if Lucy woke up? As he contemplated upon what he should do- he couldn't just leave her- the idea seemed more and more appealing to him. 

Slipping his shoes off, Natsu walked over and climbed into the bed behind Lucy, feeling extremely nervous. He pressed closer, warming her with his own body heat, and then awkwardly placed his arms around her. Lucy sighed, moving back so she was pressed up against him. Natsu blushed, and closed his eyes, drifting off to the rhythmic sounds of her breathing and the wonderful smell of her hair. 

Outside, Gray smiled. Finally, that flame-brain had taken some action. He removed his hands from the wall, exhaling as he finally let warmth seep back into the room. Knowing the idiotic fire-breath, he was probably already asleep by now. Gray grinned to himself, pleased to have done something for his teammates. If only Natsu would ever take the initiative to actually do something about his crush on Lucy! 

Gray hummed as he walked down the long corridor, flexing his arms. He happened to glance up, and noticed a suspicious wet patch gliding along the ceiling above him." 

"Juvia?" he asked, stepping back as a stream of water curved out from the damp spot, landing on the ground to form into the rain woman. Juvia flushed, casting her eyes downwards. 

"Juvia is so sorry. Juvia was just walking down to her room when she saw Gray-sama, and wanted to see what Gray sama was doing..." the blunette babbled cheeks bright red. 

Gray turned equally as red, realizing she must have seen what he had done. "Um..ah... I was just-" he stuttered, not sure how to explain what he had been doing. "Um... how about I take you to dinner? My treat." he said quickly to hide his embarrassment. 

Juvia looked up hopefully. "Really?" 

Gray nodded. He really had meant to take Juvia to the restaurant he had seen while passing through the town earlier. The restaurant featured private booths, great music and beautiful water and ice displays. He thought it was perfect for the two of them, after being forced to take up Erza's command to stop hiding the fact that he liked Juvia. Though the rain woman could be clingy at times, he really did care for her. 

Juvia smiled, and slipped her hand into his, and they walked off together. 

Down the hallway, a pair of eyes watched them walk away, seething in anger. 


	4. Chapter 4

Brett stared dully at the screen in front of him, crunching on the last of his chips. The crisps soon disappeared down his wide gullet, and he sighed as he crumpled up the packet, chucking it onto the large pile by the side of his desk. 

Cramped into the tiny security room, Brett had little to do on his night shifts. Hotel Elven Wings was not the sort of place one would commit offences. Or so Brett thought. Why would anyone bother to plan crimes? Brett wondered, yawning. He contemplated reaching up to cover his mouth, but couldn’t find the energy to do so. Who was watching him after all? 

Brett sat back in the small metal chair the hotel provided, thighs spilling over the sides. The metal groaned under his massive weight- the false leather covering on the seat was concave from him sitting on it 12 hours a day. 

Brett frowned, already missing the taste of snacks in his mouth. He stared at the door (the one he had to turn sideways to walk through) and seriously considered walking the whole kilometer to the nearest petrol station. But then he remembered the half eaten doughnut in his pocket and the thought of walking disappeared from his mind, a fading feeling of accomplishment colouring his senses. 

Digging his meaty fingers into the large pocket of his security vest, Brett pulled the squashed doughnut from the depths of the pouch, grimacing as something vaguely squishy brushed against his pinky. Hardly waiting to pull the hastily wrapped glad-wrap off, he shoved the whole thing into his mouth, licking strawberry icing off his fingers. 

Still chewing, Brett glanced back up at the computer in front of him. A stunning blunette and a man wearing only boxers walked down the hallway, eyes only on each other. Brett sighed. Young love these days. He went to throw the glad-wrap onto the pile, but something stopped him cold. A shadow was sneaking along the walls- almost indistinguishable but definitely there. 

It placed dark hands on each door along the passage, pausing and sensing. Almost as if searching for something or someone… 

The blurry figure paused in front of a door close to the end of the corridor, placed its’ head against the smooth wood, and visibly sniffed. As Brett watched, its’ hands turned a dark blue, etched over with frost patterns. The shadow shivered slightly, and Brett realised the thing must have been a sensor of magic types. But what was it doing here? 

The figure moved on, out of sight of his camera. Brett scrambled to switch surveillance cameras, and in his haste dropped a cup of hot coffee he had set aside earlier onto himself.   
“Aaaargh!” The scream of pain was deafening even to his own ears. Squinting in pain, Brett looked up and his heart skipped a beat. The dark figure had stopped moving, and was now staring right at the surveillance camera. 

Brett wiped his eyes off the tears of pain and realised the shadow was gone. A chill creeped down the back of his neck, and the hairs on his arm stood on end. He turned around, heart clenched, and saw a black shadow pooling underneath his door. He couldn’t scream. 

A few hours later, the cleaning crew would find him sitting in his chair, hands clutching his chest. They said he had died of a heart attack. 

At the same time, just down the street Gray felt a chill spread across his shoulder blades. He was sitting in a beautiful restaurant with Juvia, watching an exquisite ice and water show. Despite the warmth in the room, Gray felt as if the temperature had dropped. He shivered, then realised with a gasp that he had actually felt cold. Juvia touched his shoulder hesitantly. 

“Gray-sama? Are you alright?” 

Gray smiled down at her, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Pushing the dark thoughts in his mind away, he bent down and pressed his lips gently to hers, eliciting a short gasp from Juvia. He grin spread as she melted down into a puddle of warm water, turning bright pink before she liquefied.


End file.
